When chunks of stewed top sirloin act as garnish (as opposed to a pat of sour cream or sprinkle of chopped cilantro or something), you know you're in for a bold treat. And that treat is a thick flour burrito entirely made up of that steak — no filler. Cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses are melted on top with that "garnish" and a delightful, semi-hot Anaheim-and-jalapeño red sauce puddles underneath. ($6 lunch/$8 dinner)

Fried Chicken at Barney's Diner

129 W. Las Animas St., 632-1756

We will not insult your intellect by describing the comfort-food superiority of fried chicken. You know, the soul-satisfying, unctuous crunch that gives way to moist meat — 'nuff said. Just know that here, lines lead out of the building when it's served on first and third Wednesdays of the month, always two days after the poultry began marinating. ($6.90 includes three chicken pieces, mashed potatoes and gravy, veggies, and soup or salad)

From the "rooted entrees" section of the cocktail lounge menu comes this favorite dish, which places a focus on simple ingredients in less-is-more fashion. Almonds are crushed and mixed with rosemary leaves for a gluten-free salmon coating, which sees a browning during a pan sear. A honey Worcestershire hits umami notes while rice pilaf gets a paprika dusting and salt-and-pepper rain over haricot verts. ($16)

Colombian flavors abound at Café Corto, perhaps most beautifully in this potato and chicken soup thickened by crema Mexicana and flavored with garden herbs including guasca, a potato weed. In go avocado and capers, a corn-on-the-cob segment and an addictive arepa — a sweet, creamy corn cake — for dipping. Ask for a side ramekin of aji, a spicy oil-and-vinegar-based pepper sauce. Eat, repeat. ($6, seasonal specialty)

Oh, the love poems we've written to this one over the years ... a perfectly textured and executed cream-and-egg-based vanilla bean flan that's sent over the top by ample orange zest and a lovely Iranian saffron infusion. Enter house-made caramel sauce plus berries and a dollop of whipped cream for garnish, and you have yourself one hell of a belly dance, mister. ($5.95)

It's a little thin, so you think maybe its flavor will be a little thin, but it's not — it's really, really not. So you keep biting away at the hot-and-cool, wheat-bread-bound package of applewood-smoked bacon, cucumbers, red onion, pepper jack cheese and burly jalapeño ranch, and you realize the only thin thing here is what's left of your doubt. ($7.95)

Welcome back to the latest episode of When Fruit Stars as a Main Course. Our special guest today is mango, sautéed in coconut milk with caramelized onions, mustard seed and an undisclosed array of Sri Lankan spices. Key word there: spices. This one's a hottie. And it's vegan, marrying sugary and savory beautifully. Sweet heat! ($7.95 lunch/$8.95 dinner)

Dogtooth's gelato is homemade on Italian equipment and known for its lower fat and sugar content, plus airier texture, than ice cream. Plenty of flavors, like salted caramel or birthday cake, will compete for your attention. But many would steer you toward the Leadville Latte, concocted with house espresso and ground-espresso-bean garnish for texture. ($3.30/5-ounce, $4.05/8-ounce, $5.55/12-ounce)

This baby's about as similar to your mother's pot roast as an abacus is to an iPhone. Chuck roast gets marinated for three days in vinegar, sugar, salt, pickling spices, peppercorns and a host of other flavors that'll make your tongue swell so hard it'll reach around to hug you. Slop up the gravy, slurp up the shreds, and praise be the saints for sauerbraten. ($9.50 lunch/$16.25 dinner)

The avocado pork burrito here might be legend, but this double-layer soft corn tortilla version deserves your fealty too. Scarlet-hued, marinated shredded pork is met with a thick layer of mashed avocado then topped with tomatoes, a pinch of shredded cheese and ample crispy lettuce. Eat two and call us in the morning. ($3.65 each)

These are the closest thing to fatty, charred bone marrow that's not, you know, actually bone marrow: A light crust of baked hollandaise sits over molten cheese swirled with spinach, bits of bacon and the licorice bite of Pernod. That there are also oysters at the bottom speaks to God's grace. ($15)

Putting aside the whole tortured baby cow thing — yeah ... — if you are going to chow on veal, you may as well do it justice by doing it right. Fratelli easily handles that with a classic preparation executed masterfully. The unmistakable sweet signature of Marsala wine reduced to even more poignancy, plus butter and sautéed mushrooms for an earthy element. Sorry PETA. But, yum. ($18)

Call it a culinary parlor trick if you must, Johnny's use of a Broaster pressure cooker as glorified on broaster.com. But nobody rational will dispute how damn good this fried chicken is. (Especially no right-minded Dixie boy.) Brining it for half a day leads to super-juicy, tender meat encapsulated by beautifully crunchy skin. Choose from light or dark meat plates, all with two sides. ($8.95 to $10.95)

From a wide array, this is the money flavor, as simple to achieve apparently as adding crumbled oatmeal cookies to a vanilla base. (Not so creative as making the shot version out of Baileys, Goldschläger and butterscotch schnapps — but we digress, and who cares?) It's delicious, with a slight cinnamon hint and granular element — as clean and straightforward as ice cream flavors come. (Cups and cones from $3.95 to $5.05)

Fit for the Food Network, this is Colorado in a bite. Why? Because green chili pumps through our veins, and King's Chef's is undisputedly badass. Even heat-freaks get it on the side to measure the madness. The fire-roasted green god-sauce, made with Pueblo green chiles and California habañeros, is gluten-free and vegan. You can keep the burrito vegetarian by subbing in MorningStar Farms veggie sausage in place of the real deal for no charge. Along with either of those sausages, bacon or ham, the flour wrap gets two eggs, onions, filling hash browns and some shredded cheese. If the whole thing were made into a movie, it'd be called, There Will Be Burn. And it'd win an Oscar. ($8.95 full/$6.50 half)

It's a model entrée salad, alive with crunch and color. Over a bed of organic spring mix, ingredients are compartmentalized for mixing as you please. Among them: grated carrots, red onion slivers, cucumber rounds, halved baby tomatoes, avocado segments and a small log pile of semi-crisp asparagus spears. Shredded white cheddar adds richness, followed by a formidable tang from the creamy house Dijon vinaigrette. ($12/$2 extra for ham and chicken topping)

Lox and Cream Cheese Bagelat Lofty's

287 E. Fountain Blvd., #100, 520-0024

The Jew in one of us can't resist, but the gentile in the other loves it too. It's a bagel classic done right, stacked nearly 4 inches thick on your choice of excellently made Olde World bagels — Everything or Plain both wise options. Boom goes the smoked salmon, perched above biting red onion slivers, fresh tomato rounds and a bed of caper-flecked cream cheese. NYC in the Springs, baby. ($6.99)

The key to Luigi's manicotti is the delicate, homemade pasta, whose thinness somehow manages to contain a rich ricotta stuffing. But then there's the blend of white and red house sauces: a béchamel and an herbaceous tomato sauce, rendered mellow from seven hours stewing but bearing both ground meatballs and Italian sausage bits. A choice between a full meatball or anise-seasoned sausage link, both homemade, completes the affair. ($16.25 includes a salad or house minestrone soup/$13.50 as a special on Friday and Saturday nights)

It's snowing outside, quiet little flakes, so you stop at the pub for some bites and a beer. You do a bowl of lamb stew, a mahogany concoction flecked with red chunks of tomato and scallions. You're enveloped in hot steam, you taste rosemary, Guinness and soft potatoes, and you sop with crumbly bites of soda bread. ($7.95 lunch/$12.95 dinner)

An ode to the indecisive: chewy lamb-and-beef gyro meat and crispy falafel pieces served inside a single pita. All the fixins are there, too: salty feta cheese crumbles, tomato, cucumber, giardiniera (pickled veggie mix). Plus three different sauces: semi-bitter tahini, zippy tzatziki and harissa hot chili sauce. It covers every flavor perception as a catch-all kingpin — and yes, we did just say "zippy" while employing three colons. ($6.50)

If ever a better way to eat bison tongue has existed, we know it not. Nosh's chefs braise the meat stupid-tender with tomato paste and red wine over the course of 24-plus hours at 200 degrees. They then cook it with caramelized onions, jalapeños and Anaheims, receiving more kick from cayenne mayo and pepper jack cheese, melted onto Old School Bakery bread. Dunk that in a sweet jus constructed of the braising liquid refortified with extra carrots to draw out natural sugars. Tatonka! ($9.50 includes a side, lunch only)

Of course they had us at the mere mention of our favorite green sauce, but since eating it by the spoonful can get hard on the gut, it's probably for the best that this dish buffers the spice with diced cheddar cheese potatoes, a couple huevos (I'd go over easy) and an English muffin for some semblance of propriety. ($6.99)

As cramp-your-glutes-sweet breakfast options go, this tropical tribute will spike your blood sugar just fine. Juicy pineapple cubes are caramelized, coconut flakes are lightly toasted, and then both are incorporated into the batter. Come plate-up time, cinnamon butter gets its melt on while a crème Anglaise drags a vanilla-laden drizzle across the flapjacks. Thankfully, no spam appears. ($7.99)

The pale-yellow side of potato salad is damn good, creamy and bright, but the panino, an ode to simplicity, is the star. Slices of grilled chicken, celery and Swiss cheese are wrapped in dense layers of pizza dough, then baked and topped with mouth-puckering Buffalo-wing sauce. Combine it with ranch for a completed gut bomb. ($8.79)

Like the Iron Throne in Game of Thrones or one of those geek-ass elven blades from The Lord of the Rings, this soup is legend. It's not so much that wars have been fought over it (aside from the personal mental battle of resisting eating it all the time) as the fact that it's pretty much the greatest beer-cheese soup in the known realm. With its Queen's Blonde Ale base and thick cheese, it's so rich it's royal. ($3.25 cup/$5 bowl)

Poor Richard's customizable pizzas set the gourmet standard locally. What's extra nice is how the outfit has always been conscious of dietary restrictions. So this pick goes out to our restricted brothers and sisters: Out of the Breadbox supplies the GF crust (smaller than the regular pies) and Daiya vegan cheese subs in for the standard mozzarella. The lovely house Campari tomato sauce remains as is, ready to receive your choice of toppings from a house list of nearly 30. ($11.79 per pie/additional toppings 95 cents/$4.95 per slice)

Torta Cochinita Pibil at Quijote's Mexican Grill

208 N. Union Blvd., 313-9127

As reverently described by a dining "bromigo": a small, crusty, square sandwich filled with slow-roasted marinated pork, pickled onions and beans — not to mention a little savory grit — that comes with a side of bright-orange-and-addicting habañero sauce. It's got Mayan roots, but the sky's the limit. ($5.50)

The mark of a great vegetarian dish is that a carnivore can enjoy it the same, not missing any meatiness because the veggie power is so, um, powerful. And such is the case with this dish, plenty protein-packed from the rich, ricotta-stuffed tortellini that's sexified (it's a word as much as "mon" is, mon) by an onion white wine sauce. But then things get real crazy with the addition of grapes, banana and pineapple. (Say what!? We know.) Creamy, starchy, sweet goodness. ($8.95 lunch/$13.95 dinner)

Tortellacci at Roman Villa

3005 N. Nevada Ave., 635-1806

Homemade pasta at a restaurant being a dying art, Roman Villa's tortellacci is a prime example of why old methods are generally superior. A soft doughy pocket, not a far cry from ravioli, contains Romano, asiago, ricotta and cream cheeses, plus spinach. A thick, cream-fortified tomato sauce lightly sweetened by caramelized onions and sporting a black pepper bite oozes like bright orange lava over the top. ($12)

When you want it light, the bún chá giò is your choice. Soft rice noodles in a hearty broth and the essence of freshness with mint leaves, bean sprouts and cucumber pieces. Toss in some crisp onions and peanut crumbles for garnish and flavor enhancement. Oh, and there's a crunchy veggie egg roll on the side, too. ($8.45 lunch/$10.75 dinner)

As prawn baths go, this one's epic. It's got peanut buttery, starchy sweetness, coconut milk smoothness, a mild ginger bite, medium jalapeño burn and a touch of cilantro influence. It's almost like a Thai dish doing a sexy samba dance. But it's more like the best damn thing in the world at that moment you're mopping it up with fat bread wedges, eyes rolled back, groaning like a mad fool. ($4 cup/$7 bowl)

It's all about the sauce on this one: a house-made jerk sauce — sold by the bottle and also amazing on the crispy tofu fries for you vegans — that incorporates fermented scotch bonnet peppers for some serious heat. The bone-in chicken is also marinated in spices and herbs and then grilled crisp, with a thick spice paste still hugging the skin, which reveals perfectly moist meat. ($6.99 lunch/$13 dinner)

It's as close as you're going to get to Café Du Monde locally, especially if it's summertime and you're sitting in the alleyway between the Mining Exchange and Springs Orleans. You accept that you're going to walk away with powdered sugar either on your face or clothes, but it's worth it for that sweet fried dough. In between bites you sip your creamy coffee — One free refill? Be still my heart! — and you ponder other perfect marriages in the food and drink world, losing your train of thought sometime around the next bite. ($2.49 each)

When people think oysters, they think Oscar's — the bar that moves more of them than anyone in town. Fresh Chesapeake Bay oysters come in three times a week. Eat 'em raw with a squeeze of lemon juice, and a dollop of cocktail sauce and/or horseradish to add bite to your brine. Or get the flash-fried Oysters Oscar's plate wherein the gooey delights benefit from a Cajun cream sauce then a garnish of spinach, bacon, shrimp and crawfish bits. (market price, currently $14.95 half dozen)

Until Springside Cheese Shop opened in Pueblo last year, ushering real Wisconsin cheese curds into the region's retail marketplace, Tony's was the go-to spot when your gut told you it was time to lay a happy clogging on those uppity arteries. It remains the place to have them fried for you and served with either a ranch or bleu cheese dip, or even jelly. There's greasy crunch, tooth-tickling curd-squeak and the certain sense that though this food is not good for you, it's somehow good for you — especially with beer. ($7.30)

Two options here, paleo-migos: the burger or the strip loin. The burger starts with the regular fixings on a brioche bun, to which you can add everything from green chilies to a fried egg or blue crab meat. The Maple Shellacked Plains Bison sees a sear with shallots and peppercorns, then a slathering of maple syrup and Stranahan's Whiskey demiglace. ($13 burger, $1 to $4 for extras/$39 strip loin)

With as many local locations as an octopus has arms, Borriello is a dynasty built on an array of awesome New York-style pies. Try the fun King's Chef green chile pizza or go in for a hero, salad, calzone or pasta plate. Enjoy delivery or grab something to take and bake. And then tug at that invisible, yet perceptible, chain around your neck — they own you now.

Essential drop-ins

Spend a little time in this section of town, and you'll hear someone raving about each of the places listed below.

The Pinery holds the catering contract for this artful space with an unparalleled mountain view from the veranda. Hit up lunch (perhaps the Café Cubano sandwich) between 11 and 2, Tuesdays through Sundays, and look for special pre-theater dining menus.

You should hit the $8.99 lunch buffet for maximum gustatory carnage and mental delight, but Indian and Nepali plates can, of course, be procured à la carte at lunch or dinner as well. Bliss comes in the form of tandoori-oven baked chicken and vegetarian entrées scooped with naan, over a lassi drink.

Fujiyama sports a modern feel with a sleekness fit for Tokyo. If it's rolls you crave, let the fun names draw you in: Viagra, Who's Your Daddy and Screaming Orgasm among them. Get a loaded bento box or donbori bowl at lunch, go for hibachi service at dinner, and don't dare miss the half-off-everything Monday happy hour from 5 to 6.

The service is phenomenal, and within months of its recent opening La Bella Vita was already earning reviews as one of the finest Italian eateries in town. The calamari and mushroom risotto are highlights, but you'd be very happy with the veal scallopini piccata and limoncello-spiked crème brûlée for dessert.

You won't miss these bright pink stucco buildings dispersed between Eighth Street, North Nevada Avenue, Woodmen Road and Pueblo. La Casita is an affordable Tex-Mex spot with the best flour tortillas in town (used by other restaurants), combo plates galore, and a fresh salsa bar that makes dine-in fun.

Louie's has been a Springs staple since 1985, with five locations currently. The Dyno Wings are popular, as are cinnamon-sugar crust dessert pizzas. For the main event, though, the chicken taco pizza might be the way to go.

Longtime local chef Pete Moreno rules this dark-wooded, subterranean Concept Restaurants steakhouse that's best enjoyed with a cocktail. He issues a weekly "fresh sheet" spotlighting specials like a 14-ounce, dry-aged, bone-in New York strip with Béarnaise butter. At lunch, get the basil-poblano tortellini.

If you've been here a little while, you've probably made the Melting Pot one of your special occasion meals at least once. Grab a bottle of wine from the seriously respectable list, then manage your stomach real estate wisely among the cheese, entrée and chocolate courses. This, friends, is how you feast well.

Monica's Taco Shop

30 E. Fillmore St., 473-1996

With a Palmer Park Boulevard location too, Monica's has won its share of Indy Best Of awards. The breakfast burritos are outstanding, particularly the chorizo version. For even more girth, get the chewy carne asada burrito with guacamole, and dump plenty of salsa verde on top.

Montague's

1019 S. Tejon St., 520-0672

This little drink house embodies quaintness with large antique chairs and warm décor. Many folks go just for a giant slice of cake and pot of tea (the ginseng-peppermint's a standout), but you can also grab a light meal of soup and salad, or head in for gluten-free French toast for breakfast.

The North End Diner folks recently opened a sister outfit just down the road on Fillmore Street, called the Bistro. At the original, catch fun specials like BOGO-for-a-nickel Ranch Foods Direct burgers, daily after 2 p.m., in addition to a solid breakfast and lunch menu.

The Ritz is a downtown business-crowd staple by day and a hoppin' restaurant/bar by night. It recently overhauled 90 percent of its menu: Check out the candied spicy bacon jerky, called "Man Candy," and everything from jalapeño-ginger tuna tartare to short ribs and a New York Strip.

An early 2013 visit reminded us why we're Smiley's fans: A lovely kale-bean stew paired wonderfully with a blackened tilapia sandwich sporting a nice rémoulade on house-baked sesame bread. Others go for French toast, loaded pancakes and, of course, homemade pies. An expansion a couple years back that basically doubled the eatery's space speaks to its value to the Tejon Street strip.

Part of the restaurant group that includes Salsa Brava and Over Easy, Sonterra is your spot for generous happy hours and high-quality steak and seafood entrées that best most attempts at Southwestern cuisine as fine dining. Get the tableside guacamole and some blue corn shrimp and lobster enchiladas with a mojito or mango martini.

Stir

2330 N. Wahsatch Ave., 418-6188

Stir boasts a super-sleek, "fresh, vintage-industrial" feel with reclaimed wood counters, items like old windows as menu boards and auto-garage bay doors as front walls. Open for breakfast and lunch with R&R Coffee Café-roasted coffee, locally produced pastries and homemade quiches and the like, it's a bright, warm space that's only missing you.

Bringing the "barcade" concept to C. Springs, SuperNova delivers a bunch of '80s-era video games like Tron next to crazy-cheap drink deals, $5 lunch specials and fun, game-themed "pub grub" like Frogger Legs and a Donkey Kong Foot Long. If you're a cool kid, I'm telling you what you already know.

Everyone's welcome here, making Underground one of the best gay bars in town. And it recently procured the neighboring Brewer's Republic, which is one of the best spots for rare craft beers in town. Which makes two reasons you should party on either side, matching the drinks with completely respectable pub food like pizzas and burgers.

If there's a Soup Nazi on the local coffee scene, it's Urban Steam's Kelly Bubach. Some part of me is afraid that if I try to order something less refined than all the heady stuff on his menu, he'll stab me in the eye with the back of an espresso handle. (Not really.) All of which is to say that this is a place to drink some serious and special coffee, perhaps paired with a sweet or savory Belgian waffle.

Chef JJ Kim's 50-state sushi roll tribute (view the photos online, pretty please) is a work of genius, and he's also become quite popular for his car series, including a Lamborghini roll that delivers habañeros, Thai chilies and ghost chilies — hot damn! Drop by for items like an udon or katsu bowl, too, but hey, live a little.